Her Honour the Honourable
Anita Neville
PC OM
Neville in 2023
26th Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba
Assumed office
October 24, 2022
MonarchCharles III
Governor GeneralMary Simon
PremierHeather Stefanson
Wab Kinew
Preceded byJanice Filmon
Member of Parliament
for Winnipeg South Centre
In office
November 27, 2000 – May 2, 2011
Preceded byLloyd Axworthy
Succeeded byJoyce Bateman
Personal details
Born (1942-07-22) July 22, 1942
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Political partyIndependent
Other political
affiliations		Liberal
ProfessionEconomic development consultant, public servant

Anita Ruth Neville PC OM (born July 22, 1942) is a Canadian politician from Manitoba, who has served as the province's 26th lieutenant governor since 2022. She was also a Liberal member of the House of Commons of Canada, first being elected in the general election of 2000. She was re-elected in 2004, 2006, and 2008. After serving for more than ten years, she lost her seat in the election of 2011.

In 2022, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, through Governor General Mary Simon, appointed Neville to succeed Janice Filmon as lieutenant governor of Manitoba. She is the first Jewish lieutenant governor of Manitoba and the third who is female.[1]

Early life and career

Neville was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of Manitoba. Before entering political life, Neville worked as an economic development consultant for the province of Manitoba. She was a director of Workforce 2000 and the Winnipeg Core Area Initiative and Employment Training Program, and has also been involved in the Law Society of Manitoba and the Winnipeg Jewish Child and Family organization. During the 1990s, she was a member of the Canadian delegation which was responsible for monitoring elections in post-war Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Neville was for several years a school trustee on the Winnipeg School Board, representing Ward One in the Winnipeg School Division from 1986 to 2000. Neville regularly topped the poll in her three-member constituency. She served as Chair of the Board for five years (1987–1989; 1996–1998), and also chaired its finance committee for some time.

Federal politics

In the 1995 provincial election in Manitoba, Neville was a Liberal candidate in the upscale west-central Winnipeg riding of River Heights. This riding is usually considered as one of the few safe seats for the provincial Liberals, and was previously held by party leader Sharon Carstairs prior to her appointment to the Senate of Canada in 1994. Amid an ongoing drop in support for the Liberals, however, Neville came second with 4,435 votes, whereas Progressive Conservative candidate Mike Radcliffe got 5,429.

Later in 1995, Neville was re-elected as a Winnipeg school trustee, finishing in first place in Ward One with 13,828 votes. In the 1999 election, she chaired the successful campaign of provincial Liberal leader Jon Gerrard in River Heights.

In the 2000 federal election, Neville was the Liberal nominee for the Winnipeg South Centre district, previously held by the retiring Lloyd Axworthy. She was elected with 15,231 votes, against 10,675 for her nearest competitor, Progressive Conservative David Newman. This contest was notable for a controversy involving Canadian Alliance candidate Betty Granger, who made comments about Asian students that many interpreted as racist.

In the 2004 election, following substantial boundary reassignments, Neville was re-elected with 18,133 votes against 10,516 for Conservative candidate Raj Joshi.

In 2008, Neville was re-elected with 16,438 votes (42.3%) against 14,103 (36.3%) for Conservative Party candidate Trevor Kennerd, 5,490 (14.1%) for New Democratic Party candidate Rachel Heinrichs, and 2,860 (7.4%) for Green Party candidate Vere Scott.

During Paul Martin's time as prime minister, Neville served as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage. She has also served as the Official Opposition Critic for Indigenous Affairs.

In the 2011 election, Neville lost to Conservative Joyce Bateman by 696 votes.[2]

Political interests

Neville was the Official Opposition Critic for the Status of Women, and was a member of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women and the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development.

During her time in Parliament, Neville was a prominent Liberal supporter of Israel and co-chaired of the Liberal Parliamentarians for Israel with Senator David Smith. She was also a vocal opponent of the war with Iraq in early 2003 and was a leading opponent of the proposed American Missile Defense Shield. She has also supported numerous initiatives in the Indigenous community and supported the legalization of same-sex marriage in 2005.

Electoral history

2011 Canadian federal election: Winnipeg South Centre
Party Candidate Votes%±%Expenditures
ConservativeJoyce Bateman15,50638.82+2.56$72,590.37
LiberalAnita Neville14,78437.02−5.25$79,128.33
New DemocraticDennis Lewycky7,94519.89+5.78$15,656.19
GreenJoshua McNeil1,3833.46−3.89$1,586.80
IndependentMatt Henderson2180.55–$129.79
IndependentLyndon B. Froese1030.26–$0.00
Total valid votes/expense limit 39,939 99.62 –
Total rejected ballots 154 0.38−0.00
Turnout 40,093 69.04+3.36
Eligible voters 58,075 ––
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +3.91
2008 Canadian federal election: Winnipeg South Centre
Party Candidate Votes%±%Expenditures
LiberalAnita Neville16,43842.27+3.02$74,911
ConservativeTrevor Kennerd14,10336.26+4.77$74,675
New DemocraticRachel Heinrichs5,49014.12−7.69$10,465
GreenVere Scott2,8607.35+2.90$1,774
Total valid votes/expense limit 38,891 99.61 $77,552
Total rejected ballots 151 0.39+0.03
Turnout 39,042 65.68-3.81
Eligible voters 59,444 ––
Liberal hold Swing -0.87
2006 Canadian federal election: Winnipeg South Centre
Party Candidate Votes%±%Expenditures
LiberalAnita Neville16,29639.25−7.35$71,377
ConservativeMichael Richards13,07731.49+4.47$72,385
New DemocraticMark Wasyliw9,05521.81+0.56$19,492
GreenVere H. Scott1,8484.45+0.58$1,237
Progressive CanadianDale Swirsky9342.25–$11,137
IndependentJeffrey Anderson2460.59–$3,204
Canadian ActionMagnus Thompson660.16−0.13$2,750
Total valid votes 41,52299.64 –
Total rejected ballots 1500.36 +0.00
Turnout 41,67269.49 +6.85
Eligible voters 59,971 ––
Liberal hold Swing -5.91
2004 Canadian federal election: Winnipeg South Centre
Party Candidate Votes%±%Expenditures
LiberalAnita Neville18,13346.60+4.64$70,382
ConservativeRaj Joshi10,51627.02-10.49$62,453
New DemocraticJames Allum8,27021.25+2.94$29,392
GreenIan Scott1,5083.88–$1,030
MarijuanaAndy Caisse2930.75––
Canadian ActionMagnus Thompson1140.29–$1,617
CommunistAndrew Dalgliesh810.21–$654
Total valid votes 38,91599.64 –
Total rejected ballots 1390.36–
Turnout 39,05462.64
Eligible voters 62,346 ––
Liberal hold Swing +7.57

Note: Change is based on redistributed results. Conservative vote is compared to the total of the Canadian Alliance vote and Progressive Conservative vote in 2000 election.

2000 Canadian federal election: Winnipeg South Centre
Party Candidate Votes%±%
LiberalAnita Neville15,23140.46−15.42
Progressive ConservativeDavid Newman10,67528.36+14.36
New DemocraticJames Allum7,50119.93+3.96
AllianceBetty Granger3,2108.53−3.92
MarijuanaChris Buors6401.70
Canadian ActionMagnus Thompson2020.54
CommunistDavid Allison1810.48
Total valid votes 37,640 99.52
Total rejected ballots 181 0.48-0.35
Turnout 37,821 62.54-2.38
Eligible voters 60,471––
Liberal hold Swing -14.89

Note: Canadian Alliance vote is compared to the Reform vote in 1997 election.

References

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